camogie | Vienna Gaels GAA Club

Feature image: The women’s camogie team

On Saturday 8th August Vienna Gaels, Slovak Shamrocks, and admirers of Gaelic culture & sports joined for a day of exhibition games and fun. Hosted at the Seyring Sportsplatz, Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie were all ímpressively demonstrated by a large turnout of players. It was the first camogie game for Vienna Gaels, and the intensity on the pitch proves the energy required to build a team is already there.

It was a hot, sunny day, and everyone was keen to play games after a long hiatus – Photo: Ray Abery

The event was well organised, including the adherence to current hygiene and safety rules. Not only did spectators get a chance to watch Gaelic sports, but there was also the opportunity to have a go at a long puc. There was also a BBQ and chance to catch up between the games, with live Irish music throughout the day and into the evening.

Shown below: Award winners across different codes

Many thanks to all that organised and took part in the sports day, special thanks go to Ray Laverty for organising, and to the Irish Embassy for generous sponsorship. We were also covered in the Austrian news! https://m.noen.at/sport/korneuburg/seyring-ein-tag-im-zeichen-des-irischen-sports-gerasdorf-bei-wien-irish-sports-hurling-gaelic-football-sv-seyring-218749594#476226,218748241

Vienna Gaels have returned to training, with Monday night’s numbers (38) exceeding those prior to the pandemic. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, after all. On Monday we decided to use our regular Gaelic football training pitch for a combined hurling/camogie training, aimed at all experience levels. The result was a massive turnout from complete beginners to advanced players. The men’s hurling team have successfully grown over the last few years, and on Monday we saw a huge level of interest in camogie, based on the crowd of women that turned up.

Creating an active and varied training session while still adhering to the current social distancing restrictions has been a challenge that individuals within the club have risen to. Credit is due to the coaches and other people who have helped out, including Fiona Fleming, Kilian Smith, Anne Murray, Noel Fitzgerald, Stephen Walsh, and Darren Gilbert.

Following the regulations is also a whole club effort, and Vienna Gaels members have really come together as a community. The measures in place on Monday were sent out to club members in advance, and included the following: arrive in sports clothes, disinfect hands before playing, do not share equipment, respect 2 metres distance between players, train within your smaller group, respect general hygiene rules, and avoid travelling to or from training in large groups. These measures were put together with the aim of having clear guidance for club members, and will be updated as the situation changes.